Electrical type-writing machine



(No Model.)

E. MGLAUGHLIN.

ELECTRICAL TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

Rg. l.

Patented July 2, 188.9.

#L PETERS, nummmgnpmr, wmingim DAC.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES P. MCLAUGHLIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRICAL TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,291, dated July 2, 1889.

Application filed November 26, 1887. Serial No. 256,192. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES F. MCLAUGHLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new an d useful Improvements in Electrical Type-IVriters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enablc others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to electrical typewriting machines in which the type-levers in the ordinary operation of the machine are actuated electro-magnetically, but which may also be actuated mechanically; and the object of my invention is to provide an improved loose connection between the type-levers and the actuating mechanism therefor in such manner that there may be only a momentary reaction between the two, so t-hat the typelever when actuated will receive an impulse of Very short duration, a nd will then continue to move to produce the imprint independently of the actuating` mechanism, and will return to its normal position of rest independently of the latter. As a consequence of this operation it follows that the actuating mechanism will move 'through a much shorter space than the typelever itself.

The general construction of my improvement embodies the use of a fulcrumed keylever, which is connected at one end by alink with the head of a pivoted type-lever by a pin fixed in one end of the link and passing thro ugh a curved slot in the head of said typelever, the arrangement being such that when the type-lever is in its normal position of rest said pin will occupy a position in the middle of the slot. If, now, the key-lever is actuated, it will carry the link upwardly, which, moving to oneend of the slot, will momentarily impin ge against that end, whereby the typelever will be thrown upwardly, turning about its pivot without carrying the link with it. The action of the type-lever will thus be like that of a body thrown from the hand, or like a projectile whichV has received the momentary impact of a mechanical force.

Having thus produced an imprint, the typelever will fall by its own weight back to its normal position, when the pin in the link will again occupy its normal position in the middle of the curved slot. The key-lever may be actuated and will ordinarily be actuated by an electro-magnet, the circuit to which is closed by a suitable circuit-closing key, and for this purpose an armature is secured to one end of the key-lever. Provision, however, is also made to enable me to dispense with electro-magnetic actuation of the key-lever and to operate the same in the ordinary mechanical way. All this will more fully appear from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown in- Figure l a perspective View of a part of an electrical type-writer embodying my invention, with the circuit connections and accessories in diagram, and in Fig. 2,a perspective View of an electro-magnet which I preferably use for actuating the key-levers.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in the two figures of drawings.

Upon a base-board 1 are mounted a series of electro-magnets 2 2, constructed as more particularly shown in Fig. 2-that is to say, with a polar extension 3-which is turned up and extends parallel with the core of the magnet and terminates in the same level with the upper end of said core. XYhile this construction is the preferable one for the purposes of my present invention, magnets of different construction may be used.

Behind each magnet there is a post 6, which, by means of a pin 5, has pivoted in a slot produced in its upper end a key-lever 7, the shorter end of which 4 extends over the two poles of the magnet and constitutes the armature of the latter. For this purpose the whole key-lever may be made of magnetic material, or it may be of non-magnetic material with the short arm 4 of iron, connected therewith in any desired manner. The long arm of the key-lever, by reason of its greater length and weight, preponderates, and will normally keep the armature end in its elevated position, and this position is iixed by a suitable stop placed under the longer arm of the lever, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Concentrically with the electro-magnets 2 2 and the posts G 6 is arranged an apron 12, having a number of vertical slots 13, which accommodate the long arms of the key-levers IOO and serve as guides for the same. A block or standard 1i is also arranged concentrically with apron 12, and posts 15 15, rising from said block, have pivoted to their upper ends, by pins 17, the type-levers 11 11. These typelevers are constructed each with an expanded head 16, in which a curved slot lO'is formed. This slot is preferably shaped upon the arc of a circle o1' which the pin 1.7 is the center; but this is not absolutely necessary, since. the curvature of the slot may be different without materially affecting the operation A link or connecting rod 8 is pivoted at one end to the free end ot the key-lever, as shown, and has at its other (upper) end a pin 9, which passes loosely through the curved slot 10, thus establishing a mechanical connection between the type and key levers.4

A wire 1S, passing through allthe posts 15 15, serves as a stop Afor the long arms of the key-levers, and aband 19, arranged concentrically with the block 11, serves as a support for the type-levers when the same are in their normal position, and the stop 1S and support 19 are so arranged that when the keylever is at rest upon its stop and the type-lever upon its support. the pin O, secured to the link 8, will occupy aposition at about the middle of the slot 10.

It, now, one of the electro-magnets 2 is energized and the armature end 4 of the keylever 7 is depressed, the free end of such keylever will rise with rapidity and without obstruction, raising the link S until the pin 0 impinges against the rear end of the slot 10, when it will impart a momentary stroke to the type-lever, impellin g the same in the same manner as a projectile is impelled, by the instantaneous action of a mechanical force. The type-lever will thus turn about its pivotal pin 17, leaving the pin 9 behind until the type mounted at the free end of the type-lever produces the impression upon the paper, as in ordinary type-writers. It will be seen that in this operation the key-lever will have acquired a considerable speed before the impact of the pin 9 with the end ot' the slot 10 takes place, and that said impact will only be momentary, for immediately after such impact, the type-lever moving about its pivot, contact between the pin and the end of the slot 10 will be broken, so that the type-lever will have to complete its upward movement by the momentum imparted to it by that momentary impact. Thus the mechanical connection between the actuating mechanism and the type-lever is severed immediately atter the former has received its impulse.

Having produced the imprint upon the paper and not being controlled or in any way aiected by the actuating mechanism, the type-lever will descend by its own weight and by the reaction of the elastic platen of the machine, coming to rest upon the support 19, and this independently of any movements oi the key-levcr-that is to say, the type-lever will descend to or near its normal position,

whether or not the key-lever at that time has been allowed to assume its normal position upon the stop 1S. Thus it will be seen that after momentary impact of the type with the paper the former will immediately fall away 'from the latter, and if, as is common in machines of this character, the paper is fed 't'orward after the imprint has been produced the type will not bear upon the same, blurring the letter printed and carrying ink over to the spaces between the successive letters. 1n other words, in operatin a machine provided with my improvement the operator is relieved of the anxiety to which he would otherwise be subjected. lle need not exercise any care in relieving the key-lever after the short end of the same has been depressed.

As stated above, the circuits to the electro-magnets may be closed by any suitable circuit-closing keys; andI have shown in Fig. 1 two such circuit-closing keys 2O 20, pivotcd in standards 2l 21. Each such key is provided with a button 22 and a contact-pin .2-1 in position to make contact with a conductingstrip 23.

The circuit connections are as follows: From a battery 25, which is grounded at 27 over wire 2G to thc strip .3, and, when the circuit-closing key is depressed by pin 24, key 20, wire 2S, to and through the electromagnet 2, and 'from the same to a metal rod 29, with which one of the termini ot the coils of all electro magnets are connected, as shown. From the metal rod 29 the current proceeds over a wire 30, to and through the other electrical connections of the machine-A such as the spacing-magnets-and then to a line if the machine is used for operating a like machine at a distant station; and at said distant station the line will be grounded, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

A spring 3l is used in connection with each circuit-closing key for breaking contact after the finger has been removed from the button 22; but it will be understood from what has been stated before that the operator need not be very particular as to the removal of his linger :from the button.

It it is desired to operate the type-writer purely mechanically, use is made of the keybuttons 32, connected with each key-lever. In order to prevent magnetic Contact of: the armatures f1 with the poles of their respective magnets, a short pin of non-magnetic material is provided at the upper end of the polar extension Having now fully described myinvention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. 1n a type-writer, the combination of a type-lever having a curved slot near one end and a type at the other end, with a key-lever having a link pivoted to one end, said link carrying a pin at the other end loosely engaging the slot in the type-lever, substantially as described.

2. In a type-writer, the combination el? a IOO IIO

type-lever having a curved slot near one end and a type at the other end, with a link carrying a pin Which normally engages the slot at a distance from the rear end of the latter, and a key-lever operatively connected with the link, whereby the type-lever receives the momentary impact of the pin after the latter has acquired speed under the action of the key-lever, substantially as described.

3. In an electrical type-Writer, the combination of a pivoted type-lever having an eX- panded head with a curved slot in the same, and a key-lever for actuating the type-lever, with a link pivoted at one end to the key-lcver, and a pin at the other end engaging the said slot, whereby the type-lever, after receiving thennomentary impact of the pin, will move independently of the latter to produce the impression and to return to its normal position, substantially as described.

4. In an electrical type-Writer, the combination of a pivoted type-leverhaving a curved slot near its pivot, and a similar key-lever for actuating the former, with a link pivoted to the key-lever, and carrying a pin engaging the said slot, and stops for the levers, Whereby in the normal position of the latter the pin Will be in the middle of the slot, so that the movement of the key-lever precedes that of the type-lever, substantially as described.

In testimony Wh ereof l aiiix n1 y signature in presence of two Witnesses.

J. F. MCLAUGHLIN. WVitnesses:

E. T. WHITE, GEO. Il. TIcHENoR. 

